1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a joint connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known joint connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,199, and is identified by the numeral 1 in FIGS. 13 and 14. The prior art joint connector 1 is comprised of a joint housing 3 provided with a joint terminal 2, and a female connector housing 6 formed with a plurality of cavities 5. The prior art housings 3 and 6 are settable in a partly engaged state, as shown in FIG. 13. Female terminal fittings 4 are connected with wires, and are mounted in the selected cavities 5 of the prior art female connector housing 6 while the housings 3 and 6 are in their partly engaged state. The prior art housings 3 and 6 then can be advanced to a fully engaged state, as shown in FIG. 14 to connect the terminals 2 and 4.
Wrong terminal fittings 4 may be inserted into the cavities 5 during the assembling operation. Thus an electrical conduction test is performed to determine whether the correct female terminal fittings 4 have been inserted into the respective cavities 5. A conduction test typically requires a testing probe to be brought into contact with the female terminal fitting 4. This may be achieved by inserting the test probe through an opening at the side of the female connector housing 6 that has been engaged with the joint housing 3. Thus, this cumbersome test requires the housings 3 and 6 to be disengaged and then engaged again after the test is completed.
Furthermore, the female terminal fittings 4 are selectively mounted in the respective cavities 6 according to how they are used. However incorrect female terminal fittings 4 may inadvertently be mounted in the cavities 6 during the assembly of the joint connector 1. If such a situation is found before the housings 3 and 5 are fully engaged, it is necessary to withdraw the female terminal fittings 4 that were inserted erroneously, and then to insert the proper female terminal fitting 4. This requires the housings 3 and 5 of the above described prior art joint connector 1 to be disengaged to expose the front surface of the female connector housing 5. A disengaging jig then is inserted through an opening exposed at the front surface of the female connector housing 5. The disengaging jig is manipulated to deform the locking portion 7 elastically in a departing direction, and the female terminal fitting 4 is withdrawn while the locking portion 7 is disengaged. The proper female terminal fittings 4 then are inserted, and the housings 3 and 5 are engaged again. The above described prior art joint connector 1 necessitates such a cumbersome operation.
In view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a joint connector having an excellent assembling operability.